


A Way of Keeping You Inside (Ink)

by perfectdagger (sincerelyste)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Always with the fluff, Canon compliant-ish, First Tattoo, M/M, Pain Kink, Tattoos, about zayn, baby boyfriends, but his part is somewhat important, he is a minor character, it's cheesy and fluffy, it's not a big deal, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 16:29:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6617926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerelyste/pseuds/perfectdagger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is not fond of tattoos. He would never consider getting one himself.<br/>He may get why Harry got some of them, or maybe he doesn't get it at all.<br/>Maybe he will get it eventually.</p><p>Or the one in which Louis thinks Harry's "Hi" tattoo is stupid and doesn't get its meaning. Only until he does and also gets his first tattoo.</p><p>Based on Ink by Coldplay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Way of Keeping You Inside (Ink)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Lils <3
> 
> It took me almost 3 months to write this, sorry about the (very) late birthday gift!

“I,” Harry started to say, while nibbling the skin on Louis’ neck, “want the world to know,” he said as he went down to Louis’ collarbones, still biting softly, “that you are,” he left a kiss on the other’s shoulder before leaving a deep bite there, “mine.”

“Well, you’re doing a pretty good job right now, love,” Louis said as he ran his fingers through Harry’s curls and his other hand pressed harder against Harry’s waist.

Harry lifted his head to look at Louis. “Not like this, Lou.” His eyes sparkled a little.

“How then? I mean, we’re pretty much already giving it away every time we appear in public with a love bite.” Louis' hand was now caressing Harry’s bare lower back, pinching the younger’s love handles.

“What if…” Harry chewed on his lower lip, trying to be careful with what he was going to say. It was not like he hadn’t thought it thoroughly. He had and that’s why he was so sure about telling Louis this. He was not sure how Louis would react to it, though.

“What?” Louis asked, looking down at Harry’s green eyes, which were naïve, but mischievous at the same time.

“I want to get a tattoo.” Harry said blatantly.

“Another one?” Louis knitted his brows.  

Harry took a deep breath and rolled over, lying beside Louis. “Not like the others,” he said as he ran his index finger over the _Hi_ tattooed on the inside of his upper left arm.

Louis brushed Harry’s curly fringe off his sweaty forehead. “What are you thinking about, Harold?”

“I want something with a meaning,” Harry said, as he led his hand to Louis’ bare chest, running circles with his finger on top of Louis’ heart. “I want something that says we’ve been together since the beginning and we will still be, for a long time. Something like, together through life, you know?” He looked up at Louis again.

If Harry was afraid of practically declaring that he was there for the long run, that he didn’t see a future without Louis, that he was sure that there wasn’t a future without Louis, he didn’t show. Because actually, he wasn’t afraid. This conversation wasn’t new. Louis already knew that.

“And what would that be? Because if you really want the world to know I’m yours and that we’re meant to be together for life, maybe you should just carve my name in your skin,” Louis rolled his eyes.

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about that,” Harry smirked, gently kissing Louis’ shoulder, where he left his teeth’s mark.

“You’re not normal, Haz,” Louis chuckled as he kissed the top of Harry’s head. “That’s silly. I don’t need you to tattoo my name into your skin as a love declaration.”

“Why not?” Harry pouted.

“You know what I think about tattoos.”

“You’d never get one of them.” Harry said almost inaudibly, in a sad way.

If Harry could, he would cover his whole body with things that reminded him of Louis. He would let the world know how much he loved the older boy lying beside him, because that’s all he knew. He loved him so. He loved him so much that nothing else mattered. Nothing people ever said would make him love Louis less. If every time someone tried to make them hide their love, it only made him love Louis more, because that’s when they showed how strong they were for each other.

And the thing with tattoos was that Harry liked the permanent aspect that they represented and if he was sure of one thing, it was of how permanent Louis was in his life.

Harry also liked the pain. Being inked had the painful aspect of it. He didn’t mind it though. And just the thought of feeling the pain and the adrenaline of getting a tattoo that represented Louis was much like how he felt about the other.

It was not that loving him was to be in pain. It was that he loved him so much that it hurt. Every aspect of loving Louis hurt Harry because he wanted to touch him all the time, wanted to be with him all the time, wanted everyone to know that they were together… but he couldn’t.

And that’s when the adrenaline would kick in, because loving Louis would fuel Harry. It would make him alive and would make him do crazy things, like rush Louis into an empty room and have him there before an interview; or waking up at 2 am and running to the nearest tattoo parlor and having the “hi” Louis had written on a napkin while they were having dinner the other night tattooed on his arm.

“It’s not that I don’t like them, Hazza,” Louis spoke, noticing a slight disappointment in Harry’s tone. “I like them… in you, really. I love every silly tattoo you’ve got, but won’t you regret them, later?” Louis was careful, trying not to sound too harsh.

“I may regret some in the future, yeah, but I won’t regret you.” Harry said firmly.

Louis took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Harry was not trying to convince Louis to get a tattoo himself. He was just trying to let him know how much he meant to him.

“I know you won’t,” Louis said, brushing his hand over Harry’s upper arm, “but imagine, I don’t know, you get a thing that you think it reminds you of me and then it ends up being the most stupid thing you ever gotten on your skin.”

“I will never get something stupid when it comes to you.” Harry interrupted him.

Louis looked down at him, with a funny look. “I think the “hi” is pretty stupid, to be honest.”

“It’s not, Lou!” Harry prompted himself up, now sitting on the bed and crossing his arms over his chest, with a serious expression on his face.

“Yeah, it is,” Louis sat straight too, poking Harry in the stomach, trying to make him laugh. “I don’t even remember writing that on the napkin, why would that be important to you?”

“You forgot?” Harry asked raising a brow. “You seriously forgot?”

“Well, I was drunk and by what I could tell, you were way drunker than I was that you had the courage to get this tattooed on yourself…”

“No, I’m not talking about this. I’m talking about the “hi”…” Harry shook his head.

“What?” Confusion was written all over Louis’ face. “Yes, I’m talking about the “hi”, the “hi” I wrote on the napkin, I don’t remem–”

“I’m not talking about the “hi” on the napkin, Lou,” Harry took a deep breath. “I’m talking about the fact that you forgot that “hi” was the first thing you ever said to me when we met?” He turned his body to face Louis completely.

“Oh,” was all Louis could say. He was staring at Harry now, completely speechless.

“I can’t believe you forgot about that!” Disappointment was all over Harry’s voice as he spoke, shaking his head and getting up to leave the bed, but Louis was fast enough to catch him by his wrist, making the younger look at him again.

“C’mon, Haz, of course I didn’t forget!” Louis said with pleading eyes.

“Oh, no? Really, Louis, you just said you didn’t–” Harry started talking, but Louis interrupted him placing his index finger on his lips to shut him.

“I didn’t forget that “hi” was the first thing I said to you. Of course not, how could I?” Louis said breathing slowly. “I just never thought that this "hi" you tattooed was because of _our “hi”_ , because you never told me?” Louis took his finger from Harry’s lips and led it to where the tattoo was, brushing over it gently.

“Was it necessary to tell you that? I thought it was kinda implicit, why else would I tattoo a “hi”?”

“Because you are you? Your first tattoo was a star, Harry, please,” Louis laughed and Harry only slapped his hand, making the older one retrieve it from Harry’s tattoo.

“Ouch, I’m kidding! I’m sorry, ok?” Louis pretended that his hand was hurting more than it actually was, being the drama queen that he was. Harry contained a laugh, because, really, he couldn’t believe that Louis didn’t realize that his “hi” wasn’t just a simple and stupid tattoo. “You just never told me and you were drunk as fuck that night?” Louis continued, “it just never occurred to me that it had a connection and that a ‘”hi” was so important that you had to tattoo it on you.”

“Louis, the moment I first met you, was the most important moment in my life,” Harry was looking now directly into Louis’ blue eyes. “You should know that and it was only a matter of time before I got something related to that and I was just a little bit lucky that you wrote that down and maybe I was a little tipsy and maybe I got it on impulse, but, the meaning is real, Lou. How I feel about us is the most real thing I’ve ever felt since the moment I met you.”

Harry wasn’t embarrassed of admitting it. He would tell Louis every minute of every day how much he loved him, how much Louis’ presence in his life was the fire inside him that kept him going and he wanted to keep that fire inside; he wanted to be remembered of what was driving that fire inside him and wanted the world to know about that too, in any possible way. Louis could not be as fond of tattoos as Harry was, Harry got that, but he knew Louis understood the feeling.

The two of them were silent for a moment. Harry’s words hitting Louis like cold water. Louis knew that, because it was how he felt too and he would never forget that curly chubby-faced young boy blushing and saying “oops” in return. He would never forget how he felt after that; everything that he didn’t understand, everything that felt broken inside of him, just fell right into place. He also wanted the world to know about that, but he just didn’t have the courage Harry had. But he admired Harry for that and whatever the younger wanted to do to show him and the world their love, Louis would never take that for granted.

“I know,” Louis replied, leaning a bit forward to meet Harry’s lips with his. “I’m sorry I said the tattoo was stupid. I’m the stupid one,” Louis said and Harry shook his head as their foreheads were resting against each other, making Louis giggle a little. “I’ll never make fun of your tattoos again. And if you want to make a new one, for us… I won’t be against it. I’ll love it, just like I’m in love with this one now,” he continued, touching Harry’s tattoo one more time.

“Now you’re in love with my tattoo? Only with my tattoo?” Harry teased, tickling Louis on his neck.

“Maybe I’m in love with the idiot who got the tattoo too, but who knows,” Louis pinched Harry’s waist, making the other boy curl up his head on the curve of Louis' neck.

“I won’t get any tattoo before telling you, ok?” Harry said shyly, breathing in Louis' skin.

“Hey,” Louis called, making Harry lift his head as he gently touched his chin. “Don’t stop yourself from doing it because of me, ok? If you want to get another tattoo right now, you go and get it.” Louis smiled down at him.

“I love you,” Harry simply said, kissing the tip of Louis’ nose. “But I won’t. Not right now, at least. It can wait, I don’t know, for a better and more special occasion, I guess. Only if you agree, though,” Harry shrugged and then pulled Louis into hug as he embraced him by his waist.

Louis let the silence answer for him as he let Harry nestle his head on his chest, kissing the top of that curly head.

Louis loved Harry so much and if Harry wanted to get a hundred tattoos to express their love, he would never complain. If he had the courage, he himself would get a tattoo for Harry just to show that he only felt the same way about them.

*

And the thing was that, for the next month, all Louis thought about was getting a tattoo.

He caught himself, more than he wanted to admit, thinking just how bad he wanted to have something on his skin that reminded him of Harry and of how much he loved him.

Maybe Harry’s words that other day had a bigger impact on him than it appeared.

Maybe he was just soberly realizing what Harry had felt on a drunk night.

Maybe he was going insane.

It didn’t matter, because with each day that passed, he was more sure that he wanted to do that. He wanted to do that for Harry, as the younger had done it for him. He wanted to do it to for him, because he knew Harry was as permanent in his life as any tattoo would ever be.

He didn’t talk to Harry about that, though.

He wasn’t going to let him tease him for finally giving in.

And also because he was planning on it to be a surprise.

A surprise that involved a very well elaborated plan that Zayn was having a hard time following.

“Bloody hell, Zayn, how difficult is it to get Harry to write something on a damn paper?” Louis asked as both of them went outside the hotel for a smoke.

“Get him yourself to write it down then, mate, as you’re the one who wants it. What am I supposed to do? Say ‘hey, Haz, so, would you care to write down the first word you ever said to Louis on this paper for no apparent reason'?” Zayn shook his head as he blew out some smoke.

“I would if I wanted him to know what I’m doing, but as I don’t – which, if you didn’t know, is the meaning of a surprise, for fuck’s sake, Zayn - you just need to bloody come up with something for me.”

“I don’t know why I have to do this. Couldn’t you ask Niall or Li?”

“Niall doesn’t know how to lie,” Louis replied before dragging on the cigarette, “and Payno would try to be so convincing so hard that Harry would notice something was up,” he continued after releasing another puff of smoke.

“That’s true,” the dark-haired agreed, tossing the butt of his cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. “Either way, it’s fucking hard, man. You know how Harry is, it’s hard to stall him.”

“Be the creative young mind that you are, Malik. I believe in your potential.” Louis tossed his cigarette on the ground too, coming now closer to Zayn to place a hand on his shoulder. “Harry is easily entertained, though, you know that. He loves games. So, just come up with something to buy some time with him and you will know how to do it,” Louis patted on his back and turned around to go back inside the hotel.

*

It was only two days after that when Zayn came to Louis’ hotel room with a piece of paper in his hands.

“Fucking finally!” Louis shouted as he closed the door behind them.

“If I don’t get a matching tattoo with you after having to endure Harry for two fucking hours playing a stupid nonsense game until he finally said this fucking word, I will murder you.” Zayn said, tossing the paper against Louis’ chest and flopped on Louis’ bed.

“Dream on, mate,” Louis replied, flipping him off before taking a look at the paper.

“You both are a pain in the arse,” Zayn said, now sitting on the edge of the bed. “That’s why you deserve each other and your fucking matching tattoo.”

Louis came to sit beside him, still looking at the paper.

“Do you already know when you’re doing it?”

“Tomorrow,” Louis replied, not taking his eyes off the paper for a second.

“And at what time exactly? Because if I recall, we have rehearsals and then a fucking show to play, Tommo.”

“After. We’ll go after the concert, after everybody’s back at the hotel.”

“And who are 'we' exactly?” Zayn asked, knitting his brows together.

“You and me. We say we’ll go out for some drinks, whatever, and we’ll convince Niall and Liam to stay in with Harry,” Louis shrugged.

“I’m so glad you are one of those people who have everything figured out and never bother telling anything to the ones who are involved in your shit,” Zayn breathed heavily.

“Maybe if you do this, you’ll get our matching tattoo,” Louis wiggled his brows and Zayn playfully bumped him with his shoulder.

“Nah, we’re cool. I’m no match to what you and Harry have.”

Louis smiled at Zayn and he was so fucking grateful to have a friend like him in his life.

Yes, it was true that Zayn (and nobody else) was a match to what he had with Harry. But that didn’t mean he didn’t love Zayn. It was a different kind of love, of course, maybe not one worth of a matching tattoo. Or maybe it was. He had yet to figure it out, but first he had to get that tattoo. For Harry. For him. That was what this was all about.

*

Sneaking into the tattoo parlor on the next day was easy. Sitting down on the chair and actually getting the tattoo done was much easier than Louis had imagined. Maybe it was because he was so determined to get it, had been thinking about that moment for a month now, that he wasn’t terrified about it anymore. He didn’t get terrified about having a needle pressing ink into his skin; he actually liked it, he had to admit it. In fact, he got a thrilling sensation and somehow he understood what Harry had always told him about how it felt to get a tattoo, about how it felt to have something permanent in his life. It was easier than he had thought to get something on his skin permanently to remind him that he had been in love with Harry since the first time they ever talked to each other.

Leaving the tattoo parlor at dawn and coming back to the hotel with his forearm covered with plastic wrap was easy too. Telling Zayn to keep his mouth shut to the other boys and Harry was no problem either.

What was not easy was explaining to Harry why he was only wearing long-sleeved shirts for almost two weeks. Coming up with a weird allergy was also not easy, but at least he wasn’t lying about the itching part, but using it as an excuse to avoid Harry was a real torture.

Nevertheless, he had a purpose. He had to keep that a secret. He had to stall Harry for as long as he could until the tattoo was completely healed. He had to reveal it at the proper time.

“Lou, will you tell me where we’re going?” Harry asked as he held Louis' hand and both of them passed through the elevators’ door.

“You’ll see when we get there, stop trying to spoil my surprise,” Louis led Harry through the hotel’s front hall towards the dining area.

“Why are you making this a surprise?” Harry asked, stopping behind Louis and pulling his arm so the older boy could look at him. “Is this a special occasion? Am _I_ the one forgetting something this time?”

Louis rolled his eyes. He knew Harry would never really let go of that conversation almost two months ago, but he wouldn’t be bothered by that now, as he hoped that what he was going to do would put an end to Harry’s doubts about anything.

“No, you’re not forgetting anything, Harold,” Louis started walking again, pulling Harry along, and already entering the dining room. “Can’t a guy make a nice surprise to his boyfriend once in a while just because he wants to? We haven’t done anything since I got that fucking allergy, so I thought we could–” Louis felt Harry bumping into his back as he abruptly stopped.

“Oh,” was all Harry could say when he noticed the room completely empty, with only a table set in the middle of the room.

“Mr. Tomlinson,” a waiter stopped by the door, gesturing with his arm that the table was ready for them. Louis only nodded with his head and murmured a thank you. He held Harry’s hand one more time, and led them both to the round table in front of them.

“Louis, this is not just a nice surprise, this is–,” Harry looked around the big empty room, his eyes not believing what they were seeing. “How did you do this? I know it’s not dinner time or anything, but to close the room, this gigantic room just for us…”

“Harry,” Louis sat down on his chair and indicated the younger to do the same. “You’re not the only one who can do romantic things once in a while.”

“I know, but, sometimes I just can’t believe,” Harry was now sat, looking directly at Louis, with endearment in his eyes, “how much I love you and how lucky I am to have you in my life,” he said and Louis only felt his heart burn with love, as well as the 4 letters tattooed in his forearm.

He couldn’t hide it anymore. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He didn’t even think of how he would actually show it to Harry before, but right now, he just wanted the younger boy sat in front of him with endearing green eyes and face lighting up by the candles set on the table, who had just said (as he always did) that he loved Louis and was lucky to have him in his life... Louis just wanted Harry to know that everything he felt was felt in return.

Louis smiled and shook his head, looking down at his right arm covered by the sleeve of his denim shirt. He led his left hand to lift the sleeve up and then placed his arm on the table, forearm exposed in front of Harry, who for a second looked in confusion when he saw a dark spot on Louis’ arm.

“Lou, didn’t you say your allergy had gone? What is…?” Harry didn’t finish the last question. His eyes widened and his mouth was hanging open when he realized that the mark was not allergy related. He slowly led his hand to Louis’ arm, hesitating to touch the black ink.

“Is this…?” He looked back at Louis, who had a smirk on his face. “Is this a tattoo? Louis, is this a real tattoo?”

“Well, for the past two weeks when I showered, it didn’t come off, so I guess the tattoo guy wasn’t fooling me when he said it was permanent. So yeah, it seems it’s a real tattoo.” Louis brushed his own fingers over the tattoo. Harry pulled Louis’ arm closer to him, almost examining it.

The younger didn’t say a word. He only cautiously traced his finger over the four letters on Louis’ skin, then the exclamation point, and the two lines below it.

“I love you,” Harry finally said, looking up at Louis again. “I love you so much, Louis,” his green eyes shining, the candles lights making it greener than they already were. “I can’t believe you did this. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Louis only shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I just wanted to surprise you, do something for you that you’d never expect.”

“Well, I am surprised and after we talked I would never really think you’d do it, but yet you did and…” Harry looked back at Louis’ tattoo, still with his index finger brushing over it, “wait. This is my… I wrote this… How did you… Zayn!” Harry's train of thought spilled over his mouth and Louis only giggled, making Harry glance at him again. “I can’t believe I fell for his stupid nonsense game, oh my God. That was the worst thing. I thought Zayn was high or something. I wanted to stop playing whatever we were playing but he wouldn’t let me and when I wrote this, now it makes sense thinking back, because he simply said that I won the game and stood up and left without saying anything else. I can’t believe you and Zayn plotted against me!”

“You know I have my ways, love,” Louis winked and Harry shook his head, laughing. He inspected the tattoo one more time.

“But you didn’t need to do this, Lou, you didn’t have, you said you–”

“Yes, I know what I said,” Louis cut him off, “but I had to, Harry. After we talked that day, it all made sense to me. Not that it hadn’t made sense before, but, I just kept thinking. Everything you said to me, it made sense and I knew I felt exactly the same, so, why not?” He took a deep breath, seeing Harry looking at him, intensively. “Why not have something on me, permanently, that would always remind me of how much you mean to me? Not that the love I feel for you isn’t enough. It is enough, love, I know it is. I just wanted something that would not only remind me of that, but it would remind you of my love for you, and the whole world, if they are able to understand, how much I love you.”

“This is– I still can’t believe it, Lou. I can’t believe you, I can’t. I love you so so so much.” Harry finally let go of Louis’ arm, now leaning forward over the table, cupping both his hands on Louis’ face and giving him a peck on the lips. Louis giggled, holding Harry’s wrists before pressing their lips harder, letting Harry know that he wanted to deepen the kiss.

It was the best feeling, connecting their mouths together, letting their tongues guide each other, feeling like there was no place they’d rather be other than together, other than home.

They broke the kiss. Harry resting his forehead against Louis’, looking right into his blue eyes and if he didn’t know that Louis would kick him under the table, he would wipe the small tears that cornered Louis’ wrinkled eyes.

“I was thinking,” Louis spoke, biting his bottom lip, still holding Harry by the wrists, looking down at his own tattoo. “If you want, if you still want that other tattoo you were talking about…”

Harry closed his eyes and kissed the tip of Louis’ nose, then his left eyelid, down to his left cheek, then his lips, moving to his right cheek and right eyelid.

“Yes, yes, I do. More than anything, even more now,” he spoke again before kissing Louis on the lips one more time.

“We can get it together,” Louis looked up to see Harry beaming at him, with both lips and eyes.

“Do you want it too?” Harry asked, brushing his thumbs over Louis’ cheeks.

“Yes, I want it.” He smiled, circling his own thumbs around Harry’s wrists.

“Ok, we will get one together then,” Harry kissed Louis’ lips one last time, before distancing himself to sit back on his chair, but not letting go of Louis’ now tattooed arm and lifting it to leave a small kiss over the “oops!” Louis had inked on his skin.

*

Harry couldn’t feel his left upper arm. He didn’t even know how long he sat on the chair letting the needle inject the ink into his skin.

It hurt, it hurt more than the others. Of course it did. It was the biggest thing he had tattooed yet. He was numb because of the pain and because he couldn’t contain the feeling growing inside his chest. He also couldn’t contain the smile forming on his face. He smiled through the pain, but it wasn’t to hide it. He didn’t want to hide it at all. The pain was all right. The pain was what reminded him of why he got that tattoo.

He left the tattoo parlor with his sleeved rolled up. Everybody could see the redness around the work. Everybody could see Harry Styles’ new tattoo.

He got his phone out of his pocked and typed in.

**It’s done :) xx**

He smiled, already seeing the three dots below his message.

_Fuck I wanna see it!_

**Not until you have yours :P**

_Haaaaaaarry!!!!!!_

**You already saw the design! You know how it looks, silly!**

_But it’s different on the skin! Lemme see it Harold!_

**It’s just a boat, Lewis :P**

_It’s not just a boat, u fucker!_

**You and me both know it isn’t ;) Go get yours and we’ll see them together.**

_I’m only getting mine in the morning, it’s not fair u already got urs! :(_

**See you and your brand new tattoo tomorrow, love <3 xx**

_Love u :) <3_

*

When Louis got back to his hotel room, it was only to find Harry sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Heeeey, how did it go?” The younger asked, getting up, walking towards Louis, and hugging him tightly before pressing their lips together quickly.

“Cut the chase, Harold,” Louis stepped back, untangling himself from Harry’s embrace and walking towards the bed where the other was sitting before. “Come here and let us finally see these tattoos,” he smiled as he patted the space beside him, indicating Harry to sit there.

Harry smiled back, sitting down and already lifting up his sleeve. At the same time, Louis was rolling up his long sleeve on his right arm too. Both looked at the other’s tattoo at the same time, in an awe.

“It so fucking huge, H,” Louis said, hesitating to touch it with his left hand. “It’s beautiful. It looks like a proper English ship.”

“Yours too. It’s so perfect, so…” Harry let his fingers trace around Louis’ brand new tattoo, not daring to touch over it though. “Wait. This… I didn’t see it before,” Harry lifted Louis’ arm to take a better look at his forearm. “Louis! Does it…?” Harry looked back and forth between Louis’ face and his arm. “Does it say “home”?”

Louis smirked and nodded, seeing Harry’s eyes widen.

“No, you didn’t! That wasn’t on the drawing… Louis!” Harry grasped harder at Louis’ arm.

“Careful there! It’s still hurting!” Louis said laughing.

“You sap arsehole! I can’t fucking believe it! You keep doing stuff behind my back, Lou!”

“Always trying to surprise you, love.” Louis winked, pinching Harry’s cheek.

“I can’t believe, this is– this is more than perfect. Louis, this…” Louis could see Harry closing his eyes, his lashes against his skin and a few tears rolling down his cheek.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Louis led his other hand to lift Harry’s head by the chin. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, we got these because they mean something to us. It means so much, Harry. We’re always lost without each other. We always need each other to be guided, but we always come back to each other. We always come back home.” Louis could see a smile creeping in Harry’s lips. “You got a ship to remind you of home. I got a compass to guide you come back home. It was only logical it pointed home, innit?”

“Yes, yes,” Harry now looked up at Louis, biting his bottom lip. “Fuck, Louis. I love you so much, so much it hurts. So much I want to get a hundred tattoos for you,” the tears were still coming from Harry’s eyes.

Harry’s eyes were sparkling; both because of the tears and because of how intense he was looking at the older one. Louis could see them and they were like starts in a dark night; they were like the lights that would guide him on an empty road. He loved that boy in front of him so much. So much it hurt, just as Harry had said.

“Calm down, babe. A hundred tattoos? That’s too much, don’t you think? Maybe only a couple more, maybe 27 more…”

“You idiot!” Harry smiled, his wet cheek shining and getting flushed red.

“I love you and I would get a hundred matching tattoos with you,” Louis said, cupping his hand on Harry’s face, brushing his thumb over his cheek and feeling Harry nuzzle into the touch.

He didn’t know if he would ever get a hundred tattoos on his body, though. He probably would, if he would really consider it. If that was a way of always keeping Harry inside, then he would get a hundred tattoos and more.

**Author's Note:**

> I think this was canon compliant, or sort of. Or maybe it was a canon compliant au. It doesn't really matter.
> 
> It was about baby larry boyfriends getting their first complementary tattoos!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Comments are always welcome! :D
> 
> [tumblr post](http://perfectdagger.tumblr.com/post/143183999633/a-way-of-keeping-you-inside-ink-louis-is-not)
> 
> Follow @[perfectdagger](http://www.perfectdagger.tumblr.com)


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